Bad Boys star Martin Lawrence almost died preparing for one of his biggest roles
By Merryn Porter|
US actor and comedian Martin Lawrence was a big star in the 1990s thanks to his roles in films like Bad Boys and Big Momma's House.
But a spate of concerning incidents, lawsuits and arrests saw him spend some time away from the spotlight. Then, he almost died while preparing for one of his best-known roles.
Lawrence managed to find his way back to the top in Hollywood, commanding more than $30 million a film, before an appearance at the 2024 Emmy Awards left fans worried.
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Lawrence was born in Frankfurt, West Germany, on April 16, 1965. At the time, his father was stationed at the US military base there.
When he was seven, his father left the military and the family moved back to the US, settling in Washington DC, where his father became a police officer.
After his parents divorced when he was eight, Lawrence rarely saw his father. His mother moved her six children to the troubled housing projects, where he would regularly get in fights.
He later said his mother and older brothers kept him out of jail.
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As a teen, he took up boxing, and later started performing comedy shows in DC. Comedian Ritch Snyder saw a show and suggested he move to New York.
After a performance at comedy club, The Improv, he made it onto the TV show Star Search. He didn't win, but Columbia Pictures Television offered him a role in What's Happening Now!!.
He filmed 22 episodes from 1987 to 1988 before the show ended.
He followed this with small parts in films and TV before his breakthrough role in Do the Right Thing. This was followed by films House Party, House Party 2 and Boomerang with Eddie Murphy, who became a close friend.
He went on to host the Def Comedy Jam series before winning his own show, Martin, which aired from 1992-97.
During the show's run, he was cast as Detective Marcus Burnett in the 1995 comedy action film Bad Boys, opposite Will Smith.
That year, and following a broken engagement, he married Miss Virginia USA Patricia Southall. They had a daughter, Jasmin, in January 1996.
But behind the scenes there were reports of troubling behaviour, including on the set of the Disney film Nothing to Lose.
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A 1996 Washington Post report detailed a litany of events and arrests.
Lawrence was detained by police after he was found ranting while holding a loaded gun on an LA street. He was arrested trying to board a plane at an LA airport while carrying a loaded gun and was charged with assault after punching a man in the face in a dance club.
Lawrence's wife filed a restraining order against him after he allegedly threatened to kill her and her family.
His Martin co-star Tisha Campbell also filed a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and assault, which was settled out of court.
Lawrence and his wife divorced in 1997.
Lawrence went on to win the starring role in the 2000 smash hit comedy Big Momma's House.
He was cast in the lead role as Malcolm Turner, an undercover FBI agent posing as Hattie Mae 'Big Momma' Pierce.
It went on to become a huge hit, but Lawrence almost died before the film was made.
CNN reported in August 1999 that Lawrence, then 34, was jogging while wearing multiple layers of clothing in preparation for his upcoming role when he suffered heat stroke and collapsed outside his home.
He was rushed to hospital where it was found his body temperature had climbed to almost 42 degrees Celsius.
He was placed in a coma and put on life support, and was lucky to survive the incident.
After the success of Big Momma's House, he starred in a string of hit films. He was paid more than $30 million to star in National Security. He also voiced Boog in the 2006 animated film Open Season.
In 2010, Lawrence married Shamicka Gibbs at his Beverly Hills home. Actors Eddie Murphy and Denzel Washington were among the guests.
The couple had two daughters, Iyanna, who was born in November 2000, and Amara, who was born in 2002. They separated in April 2012 but seem to have stayed friendly, with Gibbs posting a touching Father's Day tribute to the actor on Instagram in 2021, in which she said their daughters were "so blessed to have you as their daddy."
He reprised his role as Detective Marcus Burnett in the 2020 film Bad Boys for Life and this year's Bad Boys: Ride or Die, which was a huge box office hit.
In 2022, he starred in his first dramatic role in the film Mindcage, alongside John Malkovich, and then in 2023, he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Now 59, Lawrence is thought to be worth close to $200 million. He is one of the most bankable movie stars of his generation, with films grossing almost $4 billion.
He became engaged to Roberta Moradfar in 2017, but the two later split. He is now thought to be dating Angie Gonzales, who he took to this year's Emmy Awards.
His eldest daughter Jasmin is now an actress who appeared in Bad Boys for Life. She is dating Eric Murphy, the son of Lawrence's friend Eddie Murphy.
Lawrence remains close friends with Will Smith, who took to Instagram in 2023 and 2024 to wish Lawrence a happy birthday, even calling him his "ride or die."
